Safety-explosive.



- to the same.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XORBERT ()Ellllli, ()l VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

SAFETY-EXPLOSIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NoRBnRT CEIPEK, subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of a Safety-Explosive, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an explosive of the kind belonging to the ammonium nitrate explosives, which is characterized bythe complete freedom from danger attending its manufacture according to this invention, its storage and its transport, aswell as by its permanence and inalterability.

I have found as a result of my investigations that an intimate mixture made from ammonium nitrate and the charcoal obtained by carbonizing turmeric powder (powdered turmeric root) constitutes an explosive exhibiting the said advantages. The manufacture of the explosive is very sim le and its freedom from danger is proved v the circunistances that it cannot be ex loded by shock, friction, concussion or free c; itcan only be exploded by use of a detonating cap of the known kind, preferably one containing 1 gram of the filling By addition of trinitrophenol or trinitrotoluene the disruptive pgpver of the new explosive can be consider a Y other properties, so that by the said addition an essentlal improvement is obtained in the efiiciency of the explosive, while the rest of its valuable propertiesare maintained.

With respect to the pro ortions wherein the turmeric charcoal shoul d enter into the composition of the explosive in question, the same may vary between 2 to 12 per cent. It has been experimentally ascertained that with a content of from 2 to about 6 per cent. of turmeric charcoal the explosive 1s safe in an inflammable atmosphere, that is to say firedam is not ignited by the same; with a still higher content of turmeric charcoal, up to about 12 per cent., the fire-damp safety of the explosive diminishes in proportion as its content of carbon increases, while simultaneously with this decrease a steady increase of its explosive power is to be observed. With a content of about 12 percent. of turmeric charcoal, the mixture exhibits, in so far as it is -mademerely from ammonium nitrate and turmeric charcoal, the maximum of the explosive power that can be imparted In case a further increase of the latter is desired it can be obtained by an enhanced without detracting from its admixture of trinitrophenol or trinitrotol luene amounting to 610 per cent. of the said mixture.

As to the manufacture of the explosive constituting the subject matter of this invention, dry ammonium nitrateis ground or intimately mixed with a proportion of carbonized turmeric meal varied according to ,the desired properties of the product to be produced for 1-2 hours in an iron drum having freely rolling balls; the mixture produced, after it has been freed from adhering moisture, is formed into cartridges as in the case of known ammonium nitrate explosives. The addition of trinitrophenol or trinitrot-oi luene for the purpose of obtaining a product l of considerably higher disruptive power, may be made either during the mixing of theammeric powder, or the finished mixture of ammonium nitrate and carbonized turmeric powder may be intimately mixed in a drum by means of rolling balls, with the proportion of the added material adjusted according to the degrees of disruptive power desired in the product to be obtained. The turmeric charcoal necessary for carrying out the present invention may be made by finely pulverizing turmeric and roasting the powder over a free fire in aslowly revolving iron drum until it weight. The stirring of the roasting material during the whole operation may be effected by steel balls freely rolling in the drum.

The advantages. of the use of turmeric charcoal as an addition to the ammonium nitrate as compared with the use of turmeric meal which is not carbonized, or of wood charcoal of any kind prepared in a chemical manner are as follows:

1. The gases evolved after the explosion are completely harmless when turmeric charcoal is used and are in no Way troublesome, whereas the addition of the usual charcoals or of turmeric meal to ammonium nitrate has the opposite effect. The absence of pernicious gases after the explosion is due to the easily and more completely than the charcoals used at present. This turmeric charcoal is obtained by roasting finely ground turmeric root, the latter containing a considerable quantity of starch together with resin and essential oil. The resence of the starch and the structure of the turmeric root account for the quality of the roast product monium nit-rate with the carbonized turhas lost. about 30 per cent. of its original fact that the turmeric charcoal burns more.

which is most suitable for the intended use, the turmeric charcoal obtained being particularly more porous' In consequence of this porosity, an intimate mixture with the ammonium nitrate is more completely and. evenly obtained than is the case with charcoal or the natural sorts of carbon. By reason of this intimate mixture and the structure of the particles of turmeric charcoal insure rapid ignition and complete combustion thereof so that there is an absence of partially consumed or unburned gases.

2. By adding carbonized turmeric meal to ammonium nitrate a far more powerful safety explosive is obtained than when turmeric meal which is not carbonized is added.

3. Turmeric charcoal is, in the explosive mixture forming the subject matter of the invention, a better conductor of fire than the kind of charcoal hitherto used for the comosition of ammonium nitrate explosives. ince turmeric charcoal burns twice as quickly as lignite under the same conditions, it constitutes, in an explosive compound made in accordance with the present invention, a better conductor of fire, and moreover, as it is capable of being more completely mixed with the ammonium nitrate, owing to its extremely fine division, the explosive power of the compound will be concentrated within a shorter period, that is to say, the explosive will possess a greater disruptive power than if a more slowly burning or less porous carbon were used. In other words the ignition is more nearly instan taneous.

4. By using turmeric charcoal, which is quite free from acid, the ammonium nitrate explosive appears com letely unchanged in all its properties, inc uding its degree of safety, even after storage of any desired duration, whereas the ammonium nitrate explosives hitherto known are deteriorated in their properties by lengthy storage, particularly in their ex losiye )ower and degree of safety and also ose sta ility. The absorbing power of turmeric charcoal insures fixing of the acids evolved in the detonation of the explosive com ound, the ammonium nitrate explosive ma e with turmeric charcoal re taming the acideven at a relatively hlgh temperature of 55 0. Comparative tests have shown that at a temperature ust mentioned, compositions of ammonium nitrate and turmeric charcoal will not evolve acid vapors, while, for instance, a compound made with lignite instead of carbonized turmeric (80% NH NO and lignite) evolves acid vapors. This thorough absorption insures the durability and inalterability, as well as the safety of the explosive compound when made in accordance with the present invention, and explosii'es of this character may be stored or exposed to external influences, such as percussion, heat and the like without im airing the quality of the explosive or rem ering it dangerous.

I claim as my invention 1. An explosive of the class described, consisting of a mixture of ammonium nitrate with carbonized turmeric powder, substantially as described.

An explosive of the class described con sisting of a mixture of ammonium nitrate with from 2 to 12% of carbonized turmeric powder, substantially as described.

3. An explosive of the class described consisting of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and carbonized turmeric powder with from 6 to 10% of trinitrophenol, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORBERT CEIPEK. Witnesses:

JosEF RUBUson, ROBERT W. HEINGARTNER. 

